Don't Overthink it
This just might be Q-Power’s favorite emotional brand principle of them all. Sometimes, great ideas are killed prematurely, even irreverently, by boardroom savants or what some in our world might call overthinkers, even before they’ve had the chance to see the light of day. Unfortunately, what often disappears along with them is all the cool, creative inspired collaboration that could have been.
John ‘Jock’ Elliot, past CEO and Chairman of Ogilvy & Mather International, and dear friend, colleague and successor to Advertising legend, David Ogilvy, had this to say about big ideas: “Big ideas are so hard to recognize, so fragile, so easy to kill. Don’t forget that, all of you who don’t have them.” So, why is this? How does this happen, and can it be avoided?
“Big ideas are so hard to recognize, so fragile, so easy to kill. Don’t forget that, all of you who don’t have them.”
~ John ‘Jock’ Elliot
Paralyzed by Paradigm
There are any number of reasons for big ideas being quashed prematurely, including the fact that at times there are simply just too many cooks in the kitchen, meddling with the pot, so to speak. Big ideas take boldness, singularity of mind and leadership conviction, and at times a diluted group can disturb the essence and integrity of the big idea.
The most significant factor however is more often than not, a lack of implicit trust in the expertise and wherewithal of the creative minds around the table. Not so much a lack of trust in the individual team members’ creative talent per se, but rather in an understanding, or perhaps belief in the unique and innate ability of the best of the best to truly connect at a deeper emotional level with consumers and their realities.
This trust gap is authentic in some sense of course, as the contextual imagination to see where big brand creative ideas could travel, is not necessarily something that financially astute and pragmatic business leaders practice every day. With the big Brand world’s focus on “human beings being powered by emotion, not reason” (see Kevin Roberts - CEO Worldwide, Saatchi & Saatchi) one can readily understand how this dilemma unfolds.
Without a connection to a readily referenced paradigm of winning emotional brand ideas, revenue generation strategies or award winning campaigns, even the slightest boardroom disconnect can cause doubt, even worse – fear and finally, voila, yes, you guessed it, the premature and untimely demise of the big idea.
So, is there anything that can be done ultimately to fend off such marketing communications sacrilege? Why yes! Sort of. But a lot of it rests on good old-fashioned leadership instinct. Here are a few things to consider:
Take a close look at the track record of the creative minds you are working with. If they have a well-defined and proven track record of thinking outside the box, perhaps it’s time to lead with boldness.
Ask yourself, “Do you truly wish to stand out and distinguish yourself from your competitors?” By that we mean, not just do the same thing they are doing in a subtly different way, but genuinely separate yourself from the pack.
Think back to when you first started your enterprise, or became that new leader. Do you remember the passion and burn you had for putting your stamp on the world? An emotional brand marketing communications plan that genuinely touches the hearts of all stakeholders is guaranteed to re-ignite that fire.
For an overview of outside the box campaigns that worked, call us today at 1-204-235-1284.